Derrick Moore was not a name that generated pre-season first-round conversations, but 41 pressures, 11 sacks, and a 36% pass rush win rate in true passing sets tends to generate conversations regardless. The Michigan team captain and 2025 First Team All-Big Ten EDGE rusher brings legitimate volume production against a Big Ten schedule that includes Ohio State — and the film confirms those numbers are grounded in a real first step, active hands, and a motor that never switches off. At 6'3 3/8" with 33 7/8" arms, he has the physical profile to survive at the edge in the NFL.
The nuance in Moore's evaluation is the gap between his pressure production and his finishing ability. His 11 sacks on 41 pressures represents a 26.8% conversion rate — solid but not elite — and his weigh-in at the Senior Bowl (254 pounds, 11 pounds lighter than his in-season playing weight) created a legitimate durability and anchor question that teams will probe before committing first-day capital. His pass-rush repertoire leans heavily on his first step and a speed-to-power conversion that works reliably against Big Ten tackles; the inside counter that would make him a true three-move rusher is still developing.
STRENGTHS
Moore's first step is a genuine NFL weapon. Film against Ohio State shows him firing out of his stance as fast as anyone on either defensive front — compact, low-centered, directed straight into the tackle's outside third. He does not drift or take a wide arc; he attacks the corner with urgency and converts quickly when the speed rush stalls. That quickness creates legitimate problems for even NFL-caliber offensive tackles because the timing window to anchor against his initial burst is narrow.
His arm length is the complementary asset. At 33 7/8" of reach, Moore consistently gets his hands into a tackle's chest before the blocker can fully set his anchor — visible repeatedly against USC and Nebraska, where the extension advantage wins the initial contact battle before any move is required. Long arms on a pass rusher are a leverage equalizer: they convert pressure into winning hand positions even when the move sequence is incomplete.
His motor is what earned the Jared Verse comparison in the GSLING film breakdown title, and it is earned. Moore is still running hard in the fourth quarter against Maryland on 3rd-and-Goal with the game decided. He tracks scrambling quarterbacks, chases backfield plays on the opposite side, and completes run plays with full effort. Zero loafing reps across seven game opponents is the film reality — for a team captain on a 2025 All-Big Ten First Team, that competitive standard matters.
CONCERNS
Moore's rush plan is too reliant on his first step right now. When Michigan State's tackle sat on his speed rush in the film, he did not have an inside counter ready to punish the read. NFL offensive tackles will have 90-minute film sessions specifically on defeating his speed rush by the time he lines up against them in Week 1 — without an inside counter to keep tackles honest, the speed rush itself becomes less effective. The counter-move development is the most important developmental task between now and NFL starter status.
The Senior Bowl weigh-in of 254 pounds — 11 pounds below his in-season playing weight — creates a durability question for a player being evaluated as a 4-3 base end. NFL right tackles average 315+ pounds, and at 254, the anchor in power sets becomes a real concern. Teams will want to see him play at 260-265 pounds consistently before committing to a starting role. His run defense stop rate of 5.5% is also modest — he is not a dominant run-defense player, and NFL coordinators will test him early with gap runs to gauge his first-and-ten anchor before committing to featuring him in pass-rush packages.
SCOUT GRADES
The two scouts are closely aligned on Moore's overall assessment while differing on their characterization of his ceiling. Scout 1 graded him at 72/100, projecting a Round 2 pick in the 45-62 range, and comps him to Jared Verse as the earned ceiling outcome — a late-bloomer with elite motor and consistent college pass-rush metrics who parlays that into a legitimate NFL career — while flagging Sam Williams as the floor comp if the weight question is real and the counter moves do not develop.
Scout 2 graded him at 82/100, projecting Round 2, picks 40-55, and frames him as a "power-clogging 4-tech projector" with elite bull-rush and rip-combo ability. Scout 2 sees the Jared Verse comparison as oversold on the athleticism side but acknowledges his power conversions, run defense credentials, and motor as legitimate. Both scouts converge on a Day 2 selection in a power-gap defensive scheme as the most appropriate outcome.
PROJECTION
Moore projects as a starting 4-3 defensive end in Years 2-3 if his weight stabilizes and his counter-move development delivers. Year 1 is a rotational role in a scheme that uses him in sub-packages on passing downs, generating 5-7 sacks on featured rush snaps while the every-down starting role develops. By Year 3, a 6-8 sack, 35-40 pressure production season is a realistic floor in the right scheme — not a ceiling, but a repeatable baseline.
For dynasty IDP managers, Moore is a buy-at-his-price asset in the 2026 rookie draft. The 36% pass rush win rate and 11 sacks from legitimate Big Ten competition are real numbers that will generate NFL opportunity regardless of the developmental questions. Target him as a starter-track EDGE who will reward patience through his first two NFL seasons, and prioritize power-gap landing spots (Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Cleveland archetypes) as the optimal development environment.
View Derrick Moore's full player profile, measurables, and scouting breakdown →
🎬 All-22 Film Analysis Update
*Updated after All-22 film review by Scout1 and Scout2.*
Film Score: 77.0/100 (→ No change from base score of 77.0)
Composite Score: 77.5
Scout1 Assessment Derrick Moore is a long, powerful EDGE rusher who plays with elite motor and legitimate pass rush production — 41 pressures and 11 sacks on a 36% pass rush win rate (per true passing sets) are numbers that demand first-day attention. He's a volume-pressure producer who wins with first-step explosion and active hands rather than a polished three-move arsenal, and at 6'3 3/8" with 33 7/8" arms he has the frame to anchor on early downs in the NFL. The case against him is that he showed up to the Se...
Scout2 Assessment Moore's a plug-and-play run disruptor with pass-game pop, but stiff traits and average athleticism make him Day 2 value over first-round reach—take him 40-60 and laugh at the Verse hype.
*Film analysis is based on All-22 footage reviewed independently by two scouts. Scores reflect on-field evidence and may differ from pre-film model projections.*